Sections of Alexander Village and Riverview, Ruimveldt were flooded yesterday after the Ruimveldt sluice door was not properly closed.
The door was fixed hours after. In a statement, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure said that water was receding off the land in the two areas following what it described as a mishap with the Ruimveldt sluice door which caused the flooding.
The statement explained that the sluice was scheduled to close at 2am yesterday ahead of the 5:45am high tide. However, the sluice door got stuck resulting in the rising water flooding the two communities. The ministry said that a pump was immediately activated and the sluice was reopened at 9:30 am yesterday to expedite the draining off of the water. It added that the ministry offered expert advice to correct the situation while the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is investigating the matter.
In an invited comment, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson told Stabroek News that the sluice was not properly closed when the tide rose causing the areas to be flooded. However, he said, the pumps were up and working and the matter was dealt with.
However, the koker operator who was on duty at the time when Stabroek News visited the sluice, said that although he was not at the site at the time of the mishap, from all indications the flooding was caused as a result of the sluice door being left open instead of being closed on schedule.
Stabroek News understands that the operator who was on duty at the time of the incident was sent home.
During the visit to the communities yesterday, residents vented their anger and called on the relevant authorities to look into the matter since such incidents occur at various locations. Many were busy cleaning up as the water receded.
One resident, Arita Hunte related that her husband woke up at around 6am yesterday and informed her that they were surrounded by water. She recalled that they had to rush about in the floodwaters to raise furniture and other items in the house to avoid them being damaged. The woman said that the water level rose to approximately two feet and it was about three hours before it receded.
Another resident, Ravi Singh said that at around 3am yesterday, he discovered that his area, Riverview, was flooded. He said that he was told that the operator on duty at the time fell asleep and this resulted in the flood. Efforts by Stabroek News to confirm his assertion proved futile.
A shopkeeper told Stabroek News that despite flooding not being a strange experience for her, she is thankful that she did not suffer any losses. The woman said that although parts of her yard were under water, fortunately the water did not enter her house since it is located on high ground.
